Hans-Rudolf Merz
Hans-Rudolf Merz | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2009 | |
| President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 2009 – 31 December 2009 | |
| Vice President | Doris Leuthard |
| Preceded by | Pascal Couchepin |
| Succeeded by | Doris Leuthard |
| Vice President of Switzerland | |
| In office 1 January 2008 – 31 December 2008 | |
| President | Pascal Couchepin |
| Preceded by | Pascal Couchepin |
| Succeeded by | Doris Leuthard |
| Head of the Department of Finance | |
| In office 1 January 2004 – 1 November 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Kaspar Villiger |
| Succeeded by | Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf |
| Member of the Swiss Federal Council | |
| In office 1 January 2004 – 1 November 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Kaspar Villiger |
| Succeeded by | Johann Schneider-Ammann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hans Rudolf Merz 10 November 1942 Herisau, Switzerland |
| Political party | Free Democratic Party (before 2009) FDP.The Liberals (2009–present) |
| Spouse |
Roswitha Katharina Schüller
(m. 1968; died 2016) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of St. Gallen |
| Profession | Management consultant |
Hans-Rudolf Merz (German pronunciation: [ˈhansʁuˌdɔlf mɛrts]; born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician who served as President of Switzerland in 2009. He concurrently served as a member of the Federal Council from 2004 to 2010 for the Free Democratic Party (since 2009 The Liberals).
Born in Herisau, Switzerland, into an industrial family, Merz graduated from the University of St. Gallen with a Doctorate in economics in 1971. Upon graduation he worked for various banks as well as consultant in emerging countries before entering politics.
During his tenure in the Swiss government he was mostly associated with the Swiss Banking Secrecy and the tax dispute with the U.S. (UBS affair) as well as the Libya-Switzerland relations, after the crisis stemmed from the arrest of Hannibal Gaddafi, son of Muammar Gaddafi.